Rupert sciiefbauer



(No Model.)

R. SOHEFBAUER. ELECTRIC ARG LAMP.

No. 546,827. Patented Sept. 24, 1895.

ANDREW B GRAHAM. PHOTOUTNQWASHINUON. DYC.

NlTED STATES A'rEN'r Orrrcn.

RUPERT SCI-IEFBAUER, OF PATERSON, NEN JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE AUERBACILWOQLVERTON ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC-ARC LAM P.

$PECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 546,827 dated September 24, 1895.

Application filed March 5, 1895. Serial No. 540,604. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUPERT SOHEFBAUER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Paterson, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey, have invented an Improvement in Are Lamps, of which the following is a speci fication.

This invention is especially intended for use with an alternating current, and the present improvements are made to prevent the vibration that is found frequently to arise in the core of the magnet being communicated to the carbon holders and carbons, and thereby causing the light to flicker and be unsteady.

In my application Serial No. 528,966, filed November 16, 1894, a lamp is represented in which the carbon-holders are acted upon by pinions and segmental gears, and the frame and gearing are caused to vibrate by the action of the magnet, and a spring-stop is applied to the fly or rotating wheel of the train of gearing, which spring-stop is liberated by contact with a screw as the framework is swung by the magnet.

In the present improvement the same general arrangement of gearing is made use of, and the spring is adjusted so as to vary the force necessary to liberate the fly, and the core of the electromagnet instead of being connected directly to the lever that swings the frame is provided with an intermediate flexible connection, preferably in the form of helical springs, acting in both directions between the core and the lever of the frame, so

that the vibrations which may be set up in the core in consequence of an alternating current are not communicated to the carbonholders and carbons.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation with part of the inclosure in section. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view below the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the core detached. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view of the same. Fig. 5 is a partial section through the axis of one of the carbon-holding arms, and Fig. 6 is a detached View of the connection between the spring-stop and the frame-lever.

The top plate A and the bottom plate B are connected by the columns or standards C, and I find it advantageous to introduce pieces of asbestos paper or similar material at 3 between the ends of the columns C and the surfaces of the top and bottom plates A and B, so as to prevent vibrations and deaden any sound that might result from the action of an alternating current in the electromagnet D, and'the top and bottom plates A and B, or either of them, may be made of vulcanite or similar material that is not liable to vibrate, so as to produce sound, and the inclosing cyl inder or case E protects the mechanism of the lamp.

' The shaft (2 forms an axis upon which the frame G and connected lever H can swing, andthis shaft 6 has upon it pinions c and (l, which gear into the segmental racks II upon the carbon-holding arms K K, that are pivoted at 5 upon brackets 6 below the bottom plate B, and insulating material is introduced between the pivots and the arms, as shown in Fig. 5, so that the arms are not only electrically insulated, but the insulating material lessens the risk of vibration of the parts from the action of the alternating current in the electromagnet, and at the lower ends of the carbon-holding arms K K are the clamps 7, that are adapted to receive and hold the carbons, and these are connected to the arms K K by pivotal screws 8, so that such carbon-clamps can be held firmly in position; but they can be turned to whatever angle may be desired for the carbons to stand at in relation to the armsK K. Hence the carbons can be brought together end to end, or at a more or less acute angle, so that the contacts are toward the sides of the carbons at their ends. In this character of lamp it is usually only necessary to provide the one magnet D in the main circuit between binding-posts 9 and 10, the conductors 11 and 12 leading to the insulated carbon-holding arms K K, and in consequence of the carbon-holding arms being insulated, and also the respective bindingposts, there is little or no risk to an attendant from contact with the frame of the machine, and I provide a dash-pot L, connected with one end of the lever H, to lessen any sudden movement of the parts, and the spring M acts upon the frame G to swing the same, so that the spring-stop N, that is connected at one end to the lever H, is brought at the other end against the adjustable stop 0 to liberate the fly-wheel P in the train of gearing extending to a spring in the barrel S, one end of which spring is connected with the ratchet-wheel l3, and there is a pawl 14. between such ratchetwheel and the first wheel in the train of gearing. Hence when the carbon -holders are pressed apart for inserting fresh carbons the pinions c and (Z are rotated by the segmental racks I I, and with them theratchet-wheel 13 is revolved to wind up the spring, and when the spring-stop N is liberated from the flywheel P the spring rotates the train of gearing to bring the carbons toward each other. In this character of mechanism it is impor- J tant to be able to adjust the pressure of the spring N upon the iiy-wheel and the resistance that such spring offers to the movement of the frame and lever, and with this object in view the lower end of the spring N is held by a stud 15 to the lever or frame, and there is an adjusting-screw 16, as shown in Fig. 6, by which such spring N is moved at the point of connection with the lever and frame to vary the strength of such spring as it presses toward the fly-wheel.

The core t of the electromagnet D is preferably made as a bunch of wires fastened together, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, there being a rod that extends from one end of the core through an eye in the lover II, and a spring 17 between the end of the core and the lever II, and a spring 18 between the lever It and a cross-pin or washer 19 at the lower end of the rod, so that the lever at its eye loosely surrounds the said rod of the core and is between the ends of the springs 17 and 1S, and these springs 17 and 18 are to be of sufiiicient strength to move the lever II and frame in one direction or the other; but such springs 17 and 18 yield as the core 2' is vibrated by the alternating current passing through the electromagnet D,and for this reason such vibrations do not reach the electric are between the carbons and the light is rendered steady, and in addition to this there is no unnecessary wear upon the mechanism resulting from such vibration. I remark that the carbon-holding clamps 7 may be of any desired character. I have, however, represented them as made in two parts hooked together at one side and provided with aclamping-screw at the other side; butI do not limit myself in this particular.

I do not limit the present improvement to carbon-holders having segm ental racks, as the devices for preventing the vibration in the core of the electromagnet when exposed to an alternating current may be availed of in connection with carbon-holders actuated in any of the well-known ways.

In most are lamps the intense heat and the particles of carbon ascending from the are are liable to injure the mechanism of the lamp. To prevent this I employ a shield IV, sustained by a connection to the bottom plate 13 and intervening between the carbon-holding arms, so as to catch and deflect the ascending particles of carbon and shield the mechanism of the lamp from the heat of the electric are. 'When lamps of this character are used in multiple are between the main conductors, the current will stop gradually after the holdcrs reach their nearest position as the are lengthens and the carbons are consumed. It is, however, advantageous to break the circuit entirely to avoid loss of current as soon as the carbons are consumed to a predetermined extent. To effect this a mechanical switch is employed, the same being composed of a spring .9 and a tumblert upon the frame and actuated by a pin a on one of the carbon-holders, so that the circuit is broken by the movement given to the tn mblcr when the corbon-holder has been moved to the desired extent as the carbons are consumed. This prevents any waste of current by entirely entting out the lamp.

The spring 5 has on it a contact-point that: closes or breaks the circuit at the adjacent stationary contact, and the flat places on the tumbler are at ditlerent distances from the stationary pivot, so as to hold the spring in one of the two positions, and also to turn suddenly and fully from one position to the other.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination with the carbon holding arms, segmental racks and pinions for actuating such arms, of a lever for drawing the electric are, an electro-magnet in the circuit to the arc, an extension from the core of the electro-magnet passing through an eye in the lever and helical springs around such 02-:- tension and at each side of the lever, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with the carbon holding arms and their insulated pivots and mental racks, of pinions for acting upon such racks, a train of gearing and fly, an intervening ratchet wheel and pawl, a swinging frame and lever carrying the gearing, a spring stop for the fly, and an adjustable connection be tween such spring stop and the frame and lever for varying the pressure of such spring, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with the carbon holding arms and their insulated pivots and segmental racks, of pinions for acting upon such racks, a train of gearing and fly, anintervenin g ratchet wheel and pawl, a swinging frame and lever carrying the gearing, a spring stop for the fly, and an adjustable connection be tween such spring stop and the frame and lo ver for varying the pressure of such spring, an electro-magnet in the circuit to the carbons and a yielding connection between the core of. the magnet and the lever, substantially as set forth.

at. The combination in an electric arelamp, of carbon holding arms, pivots for the same, gearing and a fly for regulating the approach of the carbons toward each other, a frame for the gearing and a lever therewith connected, a spring for acting upon the lever in one di- TDD rection, an electro-magnet and its core for acting upon the lever in the other direction, and

flexible connections between the lever and the core for preventing vibrations in the core on tending to the carbons, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination in an electric arc lamp, of carbon holding arms, pivots for the same, gearing and a fly for regulating the approach of the carbons toward each other, a frame for the gearing and a lever therewith connected, a spring for acting upon the lever in one direction, an electro-magnet and its core for acting upon the lever in the other direction, a rod extending from the core [and passing through an eye in the lever, helical springs at both sides of the lever for flexibly connecting the lever and the core to prevent vibrations in the core extending to the carbons a dash-pot connected with the lever, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with the carbon holders and means for feeding the carbons, a lever for drawing the arc and an electro magnet in the circuit to the are, an extension from the core of the electro magnet passing through an opening in the lever and helical springs around such extension and at each side of the lever, substantially as specified.

7. The combination with the carbon holders in an electric arc lamp and the actuating heliX, of a spring circuit closer in the same circuitcarrying a contact point and an adjacent contact, a notched tumbler and rigid pivot for the same, such tumbler having two flat surfaces at different distances from the pivot to act on the spring and open or close the circult, a pin moved by the carbon holders for acting in the notch and turning the tumbler one way or the other to break or close the circuit at the spring, substantially as specified.

Signed by me this 1st day of March, 1895.

RUPERT SOHEFBAUER.

-V fitnesses:

Gno. T. Pnvonnnv, S. T, HAVILAND. 

